I would always have it in your head that something CAN happen, there is always a chance you never deal with it but I would still prepare for it. Things you can and should do now is crate train if you have not already done so. And keep seperated when you are not home or not watching them play. I have found play can go to fight in about 2 seconds and over some stupid things like a toy or a stick or over excitement. Always be on hand to step in if things start to get too rough. And show them what is and is not tolerable, when play gets to that point where it is getting out of hand seperate them and dont allow them to play until they have calmed down. I would feed seperate as well, food is often a trigger for a fight to break out. Just watch and learn there body language you can often step in before it gets bad if you learn to read there signs. Just be prepared and be thankful if you never have issues.

__________________Pit bulls are..... Beauty without Vanity, Strength without Insolence, Courage without Ferocity, and all the Virtues of Man, without his Vices.""

We are crate training him, and they are all fed separate, he is in his crate till everyone is done, not because there are aggression issues but because he doesn't have manners yet and wants to eat everyone else's food. Lol! He is crated when we are gone, he's not completely potty trained yet, and the little one is always crated when we are absent. So I will keep everything in mind as he grows! Thanks!

my DAISY, A DOG used for her baby's and kicked out, tell everyone, she will come to you, anyone as she digs the contact, even though she was kicked out, she is afraid of brooms, basements and water(from hose) she is a doll, with dogs i watch always tell people when i come in as sometimes people bring these small dogs in there, but let her do her thing and 95% of the time, she's fine, she does ruff house and play looks like fighting to most, and i explain that to everyone, even people with pits, young or old, that have never let there dogs play, i explain, just let them play, the couple down the st have a 1yr old that they were afraid to let there pit around other dogs as she fights, i said come by but they never did, i corned them one day and we all went to the field and they played like pits, daisy knows when there young also. so the couple said i was the 1st person he ever let anyone pet brodi, and 1st time that just play happened.

my DAISY, A DOG used for her baby's and kicked out, tell everyone, she will come to you, anyone as she digs the contact, even though she was kicked out, she is afraid of brooms, basements and water(from hose) she is a doll, with dogs i watch always tell people when i come in as sometimes people bring these small dogs in there, but let her do her thing and 95% of the time, she's fine, she does ruff house and play looks like fighting to most, and i explain that to everyone, even people with pits, young or old, that have never let there dogs play, i explain, just let them play, the couple down the st have a 1yr old that they were afraid to let there pit around other dogs as she fights, i said come by but they never did, i corned them one day and we all went to the field and they played like pits, daisy knows when there young also. so the couple said i was the 1st person he ever let anyone pet brodi, and 1st time that just play happened.

Sounds to me like you are humanizing your dog. they do not NEED play dates or doggy friends that is a human need not dog. They do very well with proper interaction with there owner and proper excercise. You forcing someone or cornering them like you said to let there dog play is not only setting your dog up to fail but now theres as well. Glad it has worked out for you so far but being an owner with multiples and even with dogs who grew up together I have seen 1st hand at how fast that "play" can turn into something else. To me it isnt worth it, cost me $2200 to learn that lesson I sure hope it doesn't cost you anything to learn it.

__________________Pit bulls are..... Beauty without Vanity, Strength without Insolence, Courage without Ferocity, and all the Virtues of Man, without his Vices.""

Play escalating to a fight can very well happen. That is the problem with my pup. Granted she's only 7 months and 42 lbs. but has no fear of bigger or stronger dogs. She will initiate other dogs to play with her, not necessarily to dominate. If there is a insecure dog, she will pick on it. I took her to dog parks for around 3 months to realize that it was time to stop.

Like a post mentioned before I find it surprising that a working K9 was hanging out at the park-exactly why was that shepherd there anyways? Working dogs aren't exactly pets. Most have big attitudes and have to keep it that way to be confident in their work. That dominance play can really ruin a dog's psyche, and most parks have established cliques and packs.

Thankfully most pits have amazing pick-up and recover from psychological and physical pain like no other breed. It doesn't mean that they should be taken to the park though.

Sounds to me like you are humanizing your dog. they do not NEED play dates or doggy friends that is a human need not dog. They do very well with proper interaction with there owner and proper excercise. You forcing someone or cornering them like you said to let there dog play is not only setting your dog up to fail but now theres as well. Glad it has worked out for you so far but being an owner with multiples and even with dogs who grew up together I have seen 1st hand at how fast that "play" can turn into something else. To me it isnt worth it, cost me $2200 to learn that lesson I sure hope it doesn't cost you anything to learn it.

Good post, you are 100% correct. I have always tried to educate people about this. The poster pgoeltz, has most likely never witnessed a real apbt fight, because if they had that would not have posted this.
All of you new owners of apbt's out there reading this, do not let your dog play or interact with strange dogs. At first they may interact and play just fine, then one day, Bam! Real apbt do not fight like other breeds! You can't just grab them and yell, "No! No! No!" If you are not trained or experienced in separating dogs in battle, you will not be able to without causing sever damage as you pull on them. Trust me, your apbt is perfectly content with you, his owner, for all the love and affection it needs.

Great thread - I like to see this out there. People always ask why I don't take my dogs (any of them) to the dog park and it's for all the reasons listed here. We have a GORGEOUS dog park not 2 blocks from our house - rolling hills of grass and lots of trees to pee on - but I believe it's my job to protect my dogs. I protect from themselves, their natural instincts/behaviors/issues; I protect them from other dogs AND I protect them from other people.

When we go for walks in the neighborhood we go to the other side of the street if someone else is walking a dog. We have even walked up driveways and sat patiently until a dog passes if there is nowhere else to go. I'm not worried about my dogs - I'm worried about other dogs and other dog owners.

...and I have to agree - if you've ever seen a real fight between these dogs it will change you - scar you a little even on the inside. When our dogs had their first fight I thought I would have a nervous breakdown. My husband thought I exaggerated about how bad it was or was just being too sensitive.

The second/last fight they ever had (we run the house like a prison now) my husband was home for. He heard it from upstairs and came running down. There was blood everywhere, a horrible stench in the air, the dogs wouldn't let go - I couldn't get the break stick between them and he had to help. Once we got them separated I just literally collapsed on the floor. I couldn't even cry I was just so emotionally, mentally and physically fatigued.

It's not like any other dog fight I've ever seen in my life and I hope I never see another one again.

I stopped taking my pit to dog parks, not because my dog got in any fights, but because I got tired of people being scared to death that my dog was going to kill theirs. They had such nervous energy that it was making me uncomfortable, not to mention my dogs. I couldn't even enjoy myself because of all the tension. I realized that it doesn't matter how well you train and raise your pit bull, you simply can't control the attitudes of other people.

I stopped taking my pit to dog parks, not because my dog got in any fights, but because I got tired of people being scared to death that my dog was going to kill theirs. They had such nervous energy that it was making me uncomfortable, not to mention my dogs. I couldn't even enjoy myself because of all the tension. I realized that it doesn't matter how well you train and raise your pit bull, you simply can't control the attitudes of other people.

they were right to be on edge because of your dog.

__________________
"How bout you learn to spread accurate information and not encourage peoples who's dogs LOOK LIKE MUTTS and tell them they look like Colby dogs. You spread to stupidest lies of almost anyone on this forum. Your google knowledge is BS just as your posts are. The only time your posts are at all correct is when your copying something KM said, other than piggy backing off of his actual knowledge you have no idea what you are talking about." -American_Pit13

Where in there did fighting serve any purpose other than for old men to gamble and a breed of dog was created? -American_Pit13

...and I have to agree - if you've ever seen a real fight between these dogs it will change you - scar you a little even on the inside. When our dogs had their first fight I thought I would have a nervous breakdown. My husband thought I exaggerated about how bad it was or was just being too sensitive.

The second/last fight they ever had (we run the house like a prison now) my husband was home for. He heard it from upstairs and came running down. There was blood everywhere, a horrible stench in the air, the dogs wouldn't let go - I couldn't get the break stick between them and he had to help. Once we got them separated I just literally collapsed on the floor. I couldn't even cry I was just so emotionally, mentally and physically fatigued.

It's not like any other dog fight I've ever seen in my life and I hope I never see another one again.

Now you understand more than others the responsibility required owning these dogs.
It is in their blood as the ApBT is the ultimate canine warrior of dogs.
Often people are hurt more than the dogs.

A golden rule: Never trust two bulldogs not to fight.
Never leave them alone together, no matter how good they seem to get along.
Fighting to these dogs can be for no other reason that they just simply want to.
But often, jealousy can come into play, as well as territory, in >1 dog houses.

__________________It is with our judgments, as with our watches; no two go just alike, yet each believes his own.
~Joe Corvino

The general public is often more aware that ApBT's are a fighting breed, than many owners are.
If you want a dog park dog, get another breed. Simple.
They do have a right to be nervous...bad media is no help either.
But bottom line, even if another dog starts it, the ApBT will be the villian in the end.
When they fight it isn't for dominance or alpha status, but until the other dog is dead or helpless.

One may learn to control their dog, but if it is a true ApBT they will always have it in them.
Some are more mellow than others, but that is the exception, not the rule.

__________________It is with our judgments, as with our watches; no two go just alike, yet each believes his own.
~Joe Corvino